Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10 (IANS) In a welcome move, Kerala has reduced the teacher-student ratio from 1:45 to 1:30 in all state owned and state supported schools.

This was done under the Comprehensive Reforms Package unveiled in the Kerala general education department.

In the lower primary schools, the teacher-student ratio would be 1:30 and in upper primary schools it would be 1:35.

Speaking to reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said this is going to make a huge change in tackling the problems besetting the school education sector in the state.

"With reduction in the teacher-student ratio, the additional funds required would be met by funds that we will get from the centre through the Right to Education Act. With this the liability of the state would be just Rs.6.68 crore every year," he said.

"Around Rs.260 crore would be injected into the state education sector every year by the centre and would be used to create infrastructure and also to ensure that all teachers get their salary every month," added Chandy.

The state has 4,501 government and 7,278 aided schools and close to a lakh teachers.

Another major new initiative announced is that there will be no longer any headcount done of the number of students in the schools to determine if there are excess teachers.

"More than 4,500 teachers have lost their jobs because of this headcount in the past 15 years and all those who have lost their jobs would be immediately re-employed. Also, 13,503 teachers who have been working for many years without getting pay also would start getting their salary with this initiative," said Chandy.

It has also been decided that up to Class 5 each class will have only 30 students while in all other classes there would be 35.

The new package will be discussed with the managements of those who own schools in the aided education sector, said Chandy.